Public Officials' Federation Condemns Ministry of Education's Guidelines Restricting School Operation Committee Secretary Activity Fees

"Undermining Local Educational Autonomy and School Accounting Independence"
Federation Announces Action Against Ministry of Education and the Council of Superintendents

The Korean Federation of Government Employees' Unions (Chairman Shin Donggeun) held a rally condemning the Ministry of Education's policy restricting the payment of activity fees for secretaries of school operation committees. On the morning of August 25th, together with the National Public Officials' Labor Union Office of Education Branch, the National Council of Public Officials' Labor Unions Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education Union, and the Korean Federation of Trade Unions' Office of Education Union Federation, the federation held a "Rally to Denounce Discrimination Against Local Public Officials by the Ministry of Education and the Undermining of School Accounting Autonomy" in front of H Hotel in Osong, North Chungcheong Province.

Members affiliated with the Korean Federation of Public Service Workers’ Unions are shouting slogans during a rally on the 25th condemning the Ministry of Education's Local Education Finance Division's directive limiting the payment of school operation committee secretary activity fees. Provided by the Federation of Public Service Workers.

The Local Education Finance Division of the Ministry of Education was reported to have communicated its plan to the metropolitan and provincial offices of education at the "2027 Fiscal Year School Accounting Budget Standard Consultation Meeting" held that day in Sejong City, Osong, North Chungcheong Province. The directive instructed that no separate activity fees or allowances for performing secretary duties in the school operation committees should be allocated or paid from the school accounting budgets.

The union argued that this policy effectively removes the grounds for paying work activity fees to local public officials who have supported the operation of school operation committees. The school operation committee is a statutory body established according to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The secretary is responsible for tasks such as preparing and supporting the operation committee meetings, and both local public officials and teaching staff share these duties.

The federation criticized the Ministry of Education for restricting the payment of activity fees without presenting any procedures or alternatives to establish a legal basis and compensation standards for the related work. They pointed out that the gap between the workload at the frontline carrying out official administrative work and compensation is being left unaddressed.

Some city and provincial offices of education have already provided support for secretary duties based on ordinances, internal guidelines, or collective agreements. The Jeonnam Office of Education and Busan Office of Education have paid activity support fees for secretary work from school accounting budgets, and the Seoul Office of Education reached an agreement on the payment of such fees through a collective agreement this year.

The union expressed concern that if the Ministry of Education’s directive goes into effect, regionally established measures to improve the treatment of secretaries could be rendered ineffective. They also raised the issue that labor unions, who are directly responsible for this work, were not consulted in advance during the process of discussing the standard school accounting budget items that directly impact school sites nationwide.

Shim Dongseob, Head of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education Labor Union under the union federation, said at the rally, "If you assign work, it is only common sense to recognize that work, and if you demand responsibility, appropriate compensation must follow." He added, "The real problem is not the size of the payment, but the central government's unilateral denial of the fair value of the work performed on the ground."

At the rally, the federation and four labor unions demanded that the Ministry of Education: ▲ withdraw the policy restricting the payment of activity fees for secretary duties in school operation committees, ▲ cease enforcing uniform control over the organization and management of school accounting, ▲ resolve the discrimination in allowances and activity expenses for local public officials, and ▲ establish an official consultative body involving metropolitan and provincial offices of education and labor unions.

They plan to hold a press conference in front of the Ministry of Education on September 7th and continue related actions in line with the National Council of Metropolitan and Provincial Governors’ General Assembly on September 17th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.